aussietrev Black Velvet Ant
February 16, 2010
Hi guys,
Congratulations on being near the end with the book project. It has been hot and very wet around this way and over the last couple of days I have come across several of these male wasps hunting around in the sandy soil. There has been some females too but they don’t like the camera getting close.
As an aside, I noticed the letter about the light and the funnel. One method of trapping insects is to bury a bottle with a funnel so that the lip of the funnel is at ground level. A light is suspended above it and ground dwellers walk to the light and fall into the funnel. Hope that sheds some light on it 
aussietrev
Burnett region. Queensland. Australia
Velvet Ant
Hi Trevor,
Welcome back. We have missed getting submissions from you. Your letter is a tad bit confusing. You talk about the male wasps hunting, and the females not letting the camera get close, yet you have submitted an image of a female. The female Velvet Ants are wingless and the males have wings. The Brisbane Insect website has photos posted that look very similar to your image, but alas, they have only identified it to the family level of Mutillidae. Another page on the Brisbane Insect website indicates that most species in Australia are in the genus Ephutomorpha, but that same page labels some wingless individuals as being male. The What Bug Is That? guide to Australian insects has a nice description of Velvet Ants.
Ant, white fur
January 5, 2010
Found these ants on the beach of Nopolo about 5 miles south of Loreto. About 1/2 inch in lenght brillant white fur in the sun light.
they appeared to be bits of white fluff blowing in the breeze.
one of them bit me and it hurt like heck
Kevin Kirkman
Loreto Baja Sur California, Mexico
Thistledown Velvet Ant
Dear Kevin,
We are very excited to have a new species of Velvet Ant for our website. This appears to be a Thistledown Velvet Ant, Dasymutilla gloriosa. Velvet Ants are actually flightless female wasps, and they can produce a painful sting. We suspect you were stung and not bitten. According to BugGuide: “Female lays eggs in burrows of sand-wasps, such as Bembix. The larvae feed on larvae of the wasp and the food provided by the adult wasps. Pupation occurs in larval chambers of host.“ Back in 2005, we received the following correction for some Thistledown Velvet Ant images we erroneously identified: “I’ve just discovered your excellent site (directed there by “This is True”), and as a hymenopterist have a few comments: All of the “thistledown velvet ants” shown are actually Dasymutilla nocturna, not Dasymutilla gloriosa. The latter has the erect hairs somewhat sparser and more “untidy”, the body is a reddish brown, not black, and all the hairs are whitish (no black hairs), so the legs look whitish. I hope these comments are useful. Denis“ Your Velvet Ants have erect sparse hairs and white legs, so we are relatively confident we are correct this time in saying they are Thistledown Velvet Ants.
Thistledown Velvet Ants
Thanks for the info, interesting these are wasps not ants, they look like ants, I have more pictures if you want them just send me a email address to send them to, my thumb is still aching a day after being stung
KK
Thistledown Velvet Ant
Hi again Kevin,
Thanks for sending additional images of these wonderful Thistledown Velvet Ants in their natural habitat.
Thistledown Velvet Ant
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Posted 06 January 2010
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Black and Orange Fuzzy Butt Bug
November 13, 2009
I saw this bug today, while hiking at Lake Pleasant (Arizona), it was walking very quickly on the ground. I only had a chance to get one photo.
Hundewanderer
Lake Pleasant, Arizona
Velvet Ant
Hi Hundewanderer,
This is a Velvet Ant, a flightless female wasp in the genus Dasymutilla. We believe, based on the location and on photos posted to BugGuide, that this might be Dasymutilla magnifica.
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Posted 14 November 2009
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Orange, furry stinging “beetle” in Mojave desert, California.
October 1, 2009
I live in Lancaster, California in the high desert. One day while working outdoors I saw a furry orange insect about an inch long. It resembled a large furry ant or wingless bee and ran very quickly. I tried to pick it up using my handkerchief as padding and it stung me right through the cloth. The pain was excruciating but only lasted a few minutes. Subsequent examination showed that the bug had a black stinger perhaps 1/4″ long. It’s been a few months and I do not have pictures. I seem to recall the bug had some black too, but the furry part was bright orange.
The picture attached is NOT the bug in question, I just needed an image in order to ask this question.
Mike from the F.A.A.
Lancaster, California
Hi Mike,
We are sorry to hear you have been stung by a Velvet Ant because the sting is reported to be extremely painful. Velvet Ants are flightless female wasps.
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Posted 02 October 2009
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What is this bug?
August 23, 2009
Can you please tell me what this bug is and if it is poisonous?
Belinda DiGerolamo
Carriere, MS
Cowkiller
Hi Belinda,
This is a species of Velvet Ant known commonly as a Cowkiller because of its painful sting. The female Velvet Ants are flightless wasps, and the non-stinging males have wings.
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Posted 23 August 2009
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What kind of bug is it
August 9, 2009
I live in northwest arizona and have seen this bug occassionaly.
Debra D Hand
NE Arizona Golden Valley
Velvet Ant
Hi Debra,
This is a Velvet Ant, a flightless female wasp. We believe it is Dasymutilla magnifica based on images posted to BugGuide and the range in Arizona and California.
Velvet Ant
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Posted 09 August 2009
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Velvet Ant
July 20, 2009
Dear Bugman,
Thank you very much for your wonderful and informative web site! After finding a beautiful bug in the backyard today we came to “What’s That Bug?” to identify ‘her.’ I am attaching the picture of our Velvet Ant for your enjoyment. We were sure happy to read your reports BEFORE handling our wasp! Our end of the summer project has become identifying as many bugs as possible, thanks to you guys!
Sam, 6 and Nanny Shauna
Columbus, Georgia
Cow Killer
Hi Sam and Nanny,
Your Velvet Ant is also known as a Cow Killer and its photo is stunning.
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Posted 21 July 2009
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Giant furry ant or bee without wings?
July 11, 2009
I found this inside out house. He was about 5/8 inches long.
David Brownell
Jocotepec, JAL, Mexico
Velvet Ant from Jalisco
Dear David,
Your insect is a flightless female wasp known as a Velvet Ant, but we do not know the species. It is probably in the genus Dasymutilla. We already posted another individual from Oregon today. Your photo is awesome.
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Posted 12 July 2009
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Unknown Ant
July 11, 2009
We found this ant in West Salem Oregon. It was found along a dirt road and has lasted for about 45 days and is still alive in a jar with holes in the lid. I have looked everywhere for some clue as to what it is and can not find anything about this ant the closest that I can find is the cowkiller ant or the velvet ant. Could you help me find out what this ant is? The ant when we first got it had yellow “hair” it has now started to burrow in the dirt I have in the jar and so it has turned brown from the dirt.
Robert Henry
Salem Oregon USA
Velvet Ant
Hi Robert,
The Cowkiller is one distinctive species of Velvet Ant in the genus Dasymutilla. Your specimen is a related species in the same genus, possibly Dasymutilla aureola. We will try to get a second opinion from Eric Eaton on the species identification. Female Velvet Ants are flightless wasps with a painful sting. The winged males do not sting.
Update from Eric Eaton
Daniel:
Your species ID of the Oregon velvet ant is correct. The “blockhead” appearance is pretty diagnostic.
Eric
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Posted 12 July 2009
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6 legged fuzzy backed beetle
Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 7:05 PM
I am in Bakersfield, California and was bitten while feeding my horses by this 6 legged fuzzy beetle. It crawled into my shoe and bit through my sock. Very painful like a wasp sting. The area is by a river that is dry and lots of empty scrubland.
Can you identify him from these scans of him? He was not very cooperative and was difficult to make him stand still. I will now extract my revenge and feed his happy little self to some chickens. Thanks for your time.
Michael Beilby
Bakersfiel, California
Velvet Ant
Hi Michael,
We just drove through Bakersfield on the way back from Mendocino, and it was a scorcher. This is a Velvet Ant, a flightless female wasp, which would explain why her “bite” felt like a wasp sting. It actually was a wasp sting. We believe this is Dasymutilla sackenii based on images posted to BugGuide. Non-stinging males of the species, indeed of the entire family Mutilidae, have wings and resemble other wasps.
Velvet Ant
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Posted 02 July 2009
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Double red headed bug?
Tue, Jan 20, 2009 at 12:23 PM
Hi,
I was mineral hounding in southern california a few days ago and found this bug(?) underneath a stone. Although the picture isn`t good, you can recognize its kind of fluffy red head, the antennae and the six legs. The the size was just below an inch.
Thank you for your help
Patrick
Riverside, California
Velvet Ant
Hi Patrick,
Your photo is blurry, and we are far from experts in the genus Dasymutilla, the Velvet Ants. Female Velvet Ants are flightless wasps that can sting painfully. The harmless male wasps have wings. If we were to hazard a guess, we would saty that this is Dasymutilla aureola pacifica based on images posted to BugGuide.
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Posted 20 January 2009
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Weird beetle or ant I have never seen before
Thu, Dec 4, 2008 at 1:31 PM
We were vacationing in the mountains of North Carolina and found this beetle looking thing. It was very fast and we found it on 2 different occasions during the same trip. Both were around 11:00 am or so. If you can’t help identify that is ok, I was just really curious what it might have been is all.
Thanks!!
Jamie of Michigan
Franklin, North Carolina
Cow Killer
Hi Jamie,
Your discovery is known as a Cow Killer because of its painful sting. Cow Killers, Dasymutilla occidentalis, are a species of Velvet Ant and Velvet Ants are actually flightless female wasps.
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Posted 05 December 2008
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